King Harald ascended the throne on the death of his father, King Olav V, on 17 January 1991. Like his father and his grandfather, King Haakon VII, he adopted the motto "All for Norway".The birth of a prince is always an historic event. However, it was a particularly special occasion for the Norwegian people when an heir to the throne came into the world on 21 February 1937.

The prince was born at Skaugum, the estate that is still the home of the Royal Family. When King Olav died in 1991, the Royal Yacht Norge was taken over by King Harald.

This was the first time in 567 years that a prince had been born in Norway, and the birth ensured the line of succession of the relatively newly established Norwegian Royal Family.

Prince Carl of Denmark became King of Norway after the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905. According to the Constitution of 1814, he could only be succeeded by male heirs (this provision has subsequently been amended).

With the birth of Prince Harald, the country was guaranteed a king, at least for the next two generations, and this meant a great deal to most Norwegians.

King Harald is the son of King Olav V (1903-1991) and Crown Princess Märtha (1901-1954). He has two older sisters, Princess Ragnhild Mrs. Lorentzen and Princess Astrid Mrs. Ferner.

When Crown Prince Harald acceded to the throne on the death of his father, King Olav V, on 17 January 1991, Norway also gained a queen for the first time in 53 years.

Sonja Haraldsen became Crown Princess Sonja when she married Crown Prince Harald on 29 August 1968. Their engagement triggered a debate on the future of the monarchy in Norway.

However, there was much less criticism than many had feared when theheir to the Norwegian throne chose a wife who was a commoner. From the very start, Crown Princess Sonja was accepted by the entire Norwegian population as a member of their beloved Royal Family.

TWO CHILDREN

The King and Queen have two children, Princess Märtha Louise (born 22 September 1971) and Crown Prince Haakon (born 20 July 1973).

Crown Prince Haakon represents the fourth generation of the Norwegian Royal Family. After he came of age, his duties as heir to the throne have increased. For years yet to come his primary concern will be his education.

King Olav informed the Korvald government of the birth of the heir presumptive at an extraordinary Council of State on 23 July 1973 - and at the same time announced that the Prince would be called Haakon Magnus.

Crown Prince Haakon and his sister, Princess Märtha Louise, grew up at their father´s childhood home, the beautiful Skaugum estate, about twenty kilometres south-west of Oslo. His parents wanted his childhood to be as similar to that of other Norwegian children as possible. The royal children therefore attended a municipal nursery school and local primary and secondary schools.

Although his sister was born two years earlier, Crown Prince Haakon is the heir to the throne. According to the Constitution, Norway has a linear succession, and the right of succession was previously also agnatic (i.e. the oldest legitimate "man born of man" inherited the throne).

The Constitution has now been amended so that women can also accede to the throne, but as an interim arrangement it was decided that the male line should have precedence for those born before 1990.

STRONG FAMILY TIES

The Norwegian Royal Family has close ties to the Danish, Swedish and British royal families. King Haakon VII was the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark.

His wife, Queen Maud, mother of King Olav, was the daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of England. King Olav´s wife, Märtha, was the second daughter of Swedish Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg.

Crown Prince Haakon´s mother, Queen Sonja, is the daughter of Dagny and Karl Haraldsen and grew up in Vindern in Oslo. She married then Crown Prince Harald in 1968. Crown Prince Haakon is now married with Crown Princess Mette-Marit and they have one daugther together.

The Wedding between HRH Crown Prince Haakon and Miss Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby took place at the Oslo Cathedral, saturday August 25th. 2001. See the church inside. They have two daugther´s together H.R.H. Princess Ingrid Alexandra, second in line for the Norwegian throne after her father, The Crown Prince and H.H. Prince Sverre Magnus, third in line for the Norwegian throne. Crown Princess Mette-Marit had one son before Marius Borg Høiby and he is now the eldest of the children in the Crown Prince and Crown Princess´s family.

Princess Märtha Louise, oldest child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, was born on 22 September 1971, nearly two years before her brother, Crown Prince Haakon. Since she came of age the Princess - known for her interests in culture and sports - has represented the Royal Family on various occasions. After completing her education in physiotherapy, equestrian training is currently her main occupation.

The Princess was baptized in the Royal Chapel just under a month after her birth. She was named after her grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha, wife of King Olav V, and her great-great-grandmother, Queen Louise, mother of King Haakon VII and daughter of Carl XV of Sweden.

Princess Märtha Louise´s is now married to the writer Ari Behn (from Moss) and they have three daughter´s Miss Maud Angelica Behn, Miss Leah Isadora Behn and Miss Emma Tallulah Behn. Miss Maud Angelica Behn is number four in the line of succession to The Norwegian Throne.